I am crucified with Christ. My undying love to my husband has bound me to take, right along with him, whatever persecution, sorrow, work, or burdens that he faces (and rejoice in all the better, richer and healthier). I am bound. The unbreakable chains of love that my heart has forged with the beautiful children God has given me are ties to them forever–to do anything possible to alleviate suffering on their parts and to always work to enable them to work for God. I have joyfully laid down on that cross. I am just nailed to the cross of dying, if I ever needed to or could, for the well-being of my grandchildren. I am bound by that love. I am bound to love my son-in-law and daughter-in-law. I could not help loving them if I wanted to. I’m on that cross. The love that I have for sisters in the Lord is so inescapable. I am just tied to them in ways that are beyond my comprehension, even. I’m tied to them, (and the brothers, too). I love the lost. I am bound as a debtor to try and help people get to heaven. Nail me to the cross! I am crucified with Christ as I try, like Paul, to let Him live in me, in all the earthly relationships that bind. But binding love is rewarding in an immeasurable way. It is the bind–the commitment–that gives us the Matthew 25 victory. It’s in the relationships that bind us together here that we serve Him. There are lots of ways that we are crucified with Him. There’s baptism that symbolizes his death and burial. There’s the submission to the Father in all areas of our lives that lets us echo with the Lord “Not my will but thine be done.” There are ropes and nails to the cross as we offer forgiveness as nearly like the forgiveness he offered from Calvary (and executed at Pentecost) as we can, in our human frames. I am bound. I am bound to the cross because my sins are nailed there. I am bound– crucified with Christ!
But just as surely as I am bound, I also have risen with him to walk in newness of life. I WILL rise with Him to an eternity of praise and glory.
So thankful for crucifixion with Christ. I do it so imperfectly, but HIS crucifixion supplies every gaping need!
I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by my faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Gal. 2:20).
